Page 120 of Ony If It's You
She nodded and hugged my neck tightly before I lowered her to the ground. She was easy as shit to satisfy, that was my baby for real. She had been complaining that I always take Messiah with me when I go out and never let her go, so I had to remedy that because I couldn’t have my baby girl feeling a way. Si was a boy and I was going to train, so I let him come with me. Jocey was my li’l princess, I couldn’t have anything happening to her.
After getting the gym cleaned back up, I sent my family off to the crib and stayed behind to holla at my uncle. There were too many people around when I’d gotten to the gym earlier for me to rap with him, but now it was just us.
“Pres, why you ain’t tell me that you and my mama use to fuck around?”
“What?” Nique asked incredulously. “You use to fuck Ms. Phyllis, Pop?”
“Dominique, shut yo ass up.” I frowned. Although that’s what it was, I didn’t want to hear it worded like that.
“What, nigga? That’s what you just said.”
“No I didn’t, nigga,” I spat.
“Boys,” Pres intervened. “JV, I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t my place number one and number two you would have had a million questions after that.”
“Right, but damn. Every fucking body knew that she was my mother the entire time except for me. I even used to ask you if you knew anything about her.”
“I know, nephew, but again had I given you anything it would have opened a pandora’s box of shit and put Phyllis in a bad situation.”
“She basically said he drugged her. She said she didn’t remember shit after he gave her a drink and the nigga been fucking blackmailing her.”
“I know. I was pissed at her for a long time, but I finally heard her out one day and I knew she wasn’t lying to me. Phyllis and I have always had this connection, so I would have known if she was lying to me.”
“Right,” I agreed, thinking about the connection that I had with my own fucking girl.
“I tried to get her to allow me to help her though, but she wasn’t trying to hear it. She had tunnel vision. All that mattered was her being there with you. I didn’t understand it at first, but when I had Dominique it became completely transparent to me. There wasn’t one thing that I wouldn’t do for my child.”
I nodded, understanding where he was coming from. I wanted to be pissed with him just like I was with my pops and even with my mama, but he was right. He would have been out of line if he said anything and could have possibly fucked up any chance that she had to see me grow and be in my presence.
“So you and Unc was hitting the same girl?” Dominique’s ignorant ass asked.
Both Pres and I frowned at him. The nigga didn’t take shit seriously.
“What? I’m just trying to get a clear understanding.”
“Anyways, so what now for you and my mama? I know that’s who you be sneaking around on the phone and shit with now.”
My mama had given me a little more insight on their relationship before I left home earlier. I was just curious where things were with them. Shit was weird because Pres was my uncle and shit, but they were a thing long before I had ever existed and I knew better than anyone that the heart wanted what the fucking heart wanted.
“We’ll figure it out.” Pres shrugged. “We always do.”
“Did you cheat on my mama with her?” Dominique just couldn’t help himself.
“No, negro.” Pres frowned at his dumb ass son.
“I mean I’m just asking, I feel like if you did, as my mama’s son, I’d have to whoop your old ass.”
“Get out, Dominique,” Pres said as he shook his head.
I laughed and dapped my uncle up before walking out with my stupid ass cousin. Dominique didn’t really like to deal with drama and shit, so I knew that him making jokes and making light of the situation was his way of trying to make sure the situation was deescalated, but I was good. Like I’d said I understood Pres’s position. It wasn’t his place to say shit. It was his place to respect everyone’s decision and he did that so I respected him even more. Even with our relationship, he didn’t have to rock with the constant reminder of his brother’s betrayal and his girl’s mistake, but he was my guy and I couldn’t name a time in my life when I looked up and he wasn’t there. I fucked with him extra heavy for that.
“You sure you good?” Dominique asked when we got outside.
“Yeah, I’m straight. It’s a lot to process, but everything will be okay.”
“Word, you know you my nigga and I got you for life and after that,” he replied as he dapped me up and pulled me into a brotherly hug.
“I’m knowing.”
